joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Nikon reduces the D500 sensor to 21 MP. Canon increases the D80 sensor to 24 MP.

I appears neither actual believes what they have been saying about sensors. What a surprise!

Who is chasing whom?

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Nikon felt that 21 was optimum for their D500 design/processor.

Bill_de Loc: US

The 80D is a better match to the D7200. Nikon was going for speed with the D500.

The D7200 and 80D both have 24.3 mp.

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Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

I thought this was about Flip or Flop!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Do you really think there's a significant difference between 21MPx and 24MPx? The resolution ratio goes as the square root of the ratio of the number of pixels, so the difference is a bit less than 7%. I don't think you'll see that without pixel peeping.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

And here I thought it was about stepping in a pop top!!! :lol:
SS

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Just wait and see.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Interesting concept, can you explain the reasoning or derivation.

haasrw1031 Loc: Gainesville - Originally Miami Florida

Thank you Bike Guy

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The D500 has target markets and design aims similar to the 7DII.

The D80 has target markets and design aims similar to the D7200.

I have never seen Canon vs. Nikon as a direct competition. There are areas where each has its advantages... Users have to decide which of those are more appropriate in their individual situations.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

I think Nikon is using the slightly lower res sensor for three reasons - the first is it will probably have a bit less noise than the 24MP variety. Next, it allows the camera to move the files faster - the D80 is 7FPS, the D500 is 10. Finally the smaller file size allows for a little more room the buffer.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Resolution is defined by separation of lines, so it's one-dimensional. Megapixels fill an area, so they're two-dimensional. If you increase Megapixels in an area and keep the same aspect ratio, the linear dimensions change by the square root of the increase.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Canon users have complained, even to the CEO, that they wanted more megapixels. They got it with the 80D. The lower level Nikon D3300 has more megapixels than the D500. Is it better. Of course not. As one individual already stated, 20.9 megapixels was the best optimum. The D500 has 4K video, dual slots for either XQD or SD cards. The only DX with this feature.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I know that this comparison is much more extreme, but would one compare the 20MP of Olympus and Panasonic to the 20MP of the new $7000 Canon? Obviously no; they are made for extremely different purposes and function differently although they all will take great photographic images. It may not look like an "apples and oranges" comparison (21MP vs 24MP) but it is.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Different cameras for different target audiences...

Canon's newly announced 24MP 80D (not "D80", that was a Nikon model in 2006) is a "step-up consumer grade" camera (replacing 20MP 70D and 18MP 60D models that preceded it). It appears to be using the sensor Canon introduced about 6 or 8 months ago in the Rebel T6i/T6s models (750D and 760D). So it's sort of a "trickle-up" of the technology, as opposed to "trickle-down". The 80D is probably designed to be most directly competitive with the Nikon D7200 (earlier D7100, D7000 models).

Nikon 20MP D500 is their "top-of-the-APS-C line, pro grade" camera and designed for high speed, durability under more challenging conditions. This is a class of camera that Nikon sort of created with their D200, then D300 and D300s... Canon followed their lead with the 18MP EOS 7D originally, and now the 20MP 7D Mark II. Sheer resolution just isn't the point with these cameras.... They use relatively tried and true sensors that are more than adequate for typical usages, but have more processing power and buffer memory behind them, as well as more robust body design/mechanisms, greater customizing potential and higher performance AF system... all geared for a more pro user who wants an APS-C format camera.